Candied Death
by His Beautiful Melody
Summary: Hocus Pocus[DanixThakery]Six years after the events in the movie, Dani still mourns losing Thakery that fateful night. But a single spell could change her world.
1. Salt In Our Wounds

**Disclaimer - I do not own any part of Hocus Pocus. If I did, well . . . to be honest nothing would have changed cuz the movie rocks as it is!**

**Author Notes - Hello everyone! So this is my first Hocus Pocus fic, but not my first fic ever. If you're a Final Fantasy, Harry Potter, or Guiding Light fan, go check out my other five stories thus far. I hope all of you enjoy this story, because I actually wrote it for my friend, but I decided to do something great with it. So without further adieu, here is Chapter One of Candied Death. **

**III**

**It was nearly obscene the way Dani Dennison had become over the years. She lost self respect for her own body, but wouldn't let anyone near her, Her gothic clothing portrayed her freakish personality, and covered the pink gashes that had become a regular part of her attire at the young age of fourteen. **

**Now she was a senior in high school, and nothing about her had changed. Grey and black armbands still covered her mutilated arms, a black minishirt and fish net stockings left little to one's imagination, A tight black tank was torn to reveal an orange undershirt, and knee-high boots completed her clothing. Her jewelery on the other hand was another story. Various hoops and studs ran all the way up her ears, a nose stud and a lip ring definaed her pale face. **

**Dani, however ridiculous most people thought she looked, had managaed to accumulate some very good friends, Jocilynn Peters, Nerika Dew, and Lynnax Stohn. They all had a lot in common, like thier love for the band H.I.M. and poetry, and they shared everything, but even they didn't know the secrets behind Danni's love for Halloween.**

**The music blared upstairs in Dani's king sized bedroom that she had moved into after Max moved out and married Allison. Inside the girls laughed furiously at each other as they went through some old junior high yearbooks. **

**"You haven't changed at all Dani. Taller maybe, but nothing about you has changed otherwise", Lynnax stated. She considered herself to be close to Dani than the other two, just because they had known each other longer. Dani gave her a light smile and brushed a strand of her red curls out of her blue eyes. **

**"No, I guess I haven't." she said. "But change isn't always a good thing. I'd prefer not to take the risk." **

**"Agreed." Jocilynn nodded from the windoe sill. "The whether is a very predictable change, but most of it is not for the good. Like Halloween for example. It always rains. Everyday for the past seven years the sky goes from a clear blue cystal, to an ominous black hole, as if it were to devour the world." **

**"Just how you like it, eh Dani?" Lynnax teased with a smirk. Dani said nothing, only nodded as she feel backwards into the comfort of her pillows. **

**"Why is it you like Halloween so much again, Dani?" Nerika called to Dani from the floor at the foot of the bed. Dani closed her eyes, and she distictly heared whispered repremands towards the questioning female from the other two. "You know she doesn't like to talk about Halloween!" She snorted at the thought of telling them just why she loved Halloween so much. **

**'Because that's when I met you.' she thought. **

**"Hey Dani, what do you think of that new kid, what was his name, Katsuragi?" Nerika asked after being scolded. **

**"Yeah, Kerial Katsuragi. He's in my math class. Bright kid. Can't understand why he's only in Algebra the way he thinks." Jocilynn pondered, still perched on the sitting window sill. **

**"He's in our history class too. He sits right behind Dani. I wonder if he might like you, Akiko." suggested Lynnax, using Dani's nickname, meaning 'autumn child'.**

**"Bite me, Hotaru." Dani spat, using her nickane as well, meaning 'firefly'. "You know I hate talking about guys. Why would I want to date one? They're nothing but foul, loathsome,evil little cockroaches." **

**"Urie is not a cockroach!" Nerika spoke up, defending her longtime boyfriend. **

**"Nerika, you're dating the quarterback of the football team, you're captain of the cheer team, student body president, honestly, I don't know how we picked you up in the first place." Jocilynn said refusing to tear her gaze from the window. "It's getting dark. What time is it." **

**Lynnax looked at her watch. "9:20. We should be getting home." She slid off the bed, holding her hand out to Nerika and pulling her up. Jocilynn crawled off of the sit-in-window sill and gave pulled Dani off of her bed, pulling her into a tight embrace. **

**"Get some sleep tonight, Akiko. We'll need as much rest as possible if we're to go to that dance tomorrow night." **

**"Hai, and you too Kenshin." she replied, calling her 'sword heart' and releasing her. **

**"Sleep tight, Dani!" called Nerika from down the hall. **

**"Better than sleeping with your legs spread, Emi!" she called back using her other anme as well, meaning 'rich beauty' earning a roar of laguther from the girls. **

**Once Jocilynn and Nerika had gotten downstairs, Lynnax wrapped her arms around her best friend and kissed her forhead. **

**"What was that for? You only kiss me when I'm crying." Dani stated. **

**"Something's wrong. You're not telling us, or even me. You know you can at the very least talk to me right?" Lynnax questioned, concern filling her soft voice. **

**"I'm fine, Hotaru, You know I hate talking about guys, most especially because of what happened with my parents." Lynnax held tighter for a moment, then let her arms fall to her sides. **

**"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, and you'll talk when you're ready. Please?" **  
**Rolling her eyes, Dani gave her friend a quick hug. **

**"Yeah, Lynnax, you have my word." **

**"Okay then. I expect to see you in class tomorrow then." she said expectantly.**

**"Yes mother," Dani retorted, and Lynnax turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. **  
**Dani's plopped back onto her bed uncerimoniously, and sighed. She loved her friends, especially Lynnax. They were always looking out for her like sisters, and to Dani, that's just what they were, blood or not. She knew though, that the time was coming that she would have to leave them, and hurt them in ways indescribable. **

**She rolled over facing her window and CD player. The song was 'Salt in Our Wounds' by H.I.M. She loved that song, and it was good music to fall asleep to. Not bothering to change into more comfortable attire, Danni fell asleep to the alluring lyrics and think of the past, and what was to come.**

**_Here we are_**_  
_**_Right back where we began_**_  
_**_Waiting for sweet love_**_  
_**_With open arms_**_  
_**_Here we are_**_  
_**_Just like before_**_  
_**_Waiting for the warmth_**_  
_**_Of that tender storm_**_  
_**_Love is insane and Baby_**_  
_**_We are too_**_  
_**_It's our hearts little grave_**_  
_**_And the salt in our wounds_**

**Dani's mother was away on business when her father brought home another woman. He slept with her every night her mother was gone, until one night, the woman's husband, broke into the house, killed his wife, and then Dani's father. She was all alone, with only her three friends to help her. Her mother came home a day later, and it's been just her and her Dani since then, always leaving Dani in the care of her friends, and coming home only when she had time off, which was only two weekends out of a month. Dani was still efficient in school, and kept decent grades. But even still, she harbored secrets that she could never tell. **

**Soon, it would all be over, and she could only hope that this Halloween would be the one, the one that brought her to eternal peace. **

**_'All because I love you, Thackery Binx.' _**


	2. Six Year Spell

Disclaimer – See Chapter 1 Author Notes – I got so many complements on this story, and I'm glad, so for you all, I updated this. Keep reading!

_ III_

"Dani? Dani, get up!" And then came an annoyed sigh. "Dani!" The slap was heard from across the street, as was the cry that followed not long after.

"Damn it!" Dani screamed. She bolted upright in her queen sized bed and black silk sheets. Wheeling around, she came face to face with Lynnax's bright blue eyes and scowling face. "What was that for!"

If it was possible, Lynnax's face angered even more. "Get your ass out of bed. It's 9:30, and we're almost done with second hour. If you hurry up we can make it to third hour right on time." She said pulling the covers off Dani's makeshift sanctuary.

The brunette girl pulled her friend to the black doubled door closet and handed her a black fishnet shirt, and faded orange over-shirt, and black baggy pants. She walked over to the tall cherry wood next to it and handed her a pair of underwear and knee-high socks.

"Go shower." She said handing Dani the garments, shoving her into the private bathroom, and shutting the door behind her.

Dani placed the clothes on her sink counter and stripped herself of her nightwear. Sliding the black and orange plaid shower curtain open she stepped in and turned on the water, thoroughly enjoying the hot liquid hitting her pale skin. It was an instant wake up call, much more delightful than being pried out of bed by her best friend.

She took her apple scented shampoo and lathered it through her hair, the aroma filling her nostrils.

'Today is the day.' She thought to herself. 'Today is the day we shall be together again.' Happily she hummed the tune of 'Helena' by My Chemical Romance. It seemed fitting for the occasion.

After rinsing, her song ended and the water was shut off. While she was toweling herself dry she could hear the sound of voices on the other side of the door. Easily she could pick up Lynnax's semi-low toned words, and she thought she had heard Jocilynn's dark-mannered voice, and Nerika's cheerful and bright sound, but there was another, another that she hadn't heard for a long time. Her curiosity perked, she dressed quickly and made her appearance presentable. Walking out of the door she again came face to face with Lynnax.

"You have a bad habit of that." Dani said amused, but Lynnax wasn't amused. Dani winced at her friend's reaction. Lynnax was never uptight unless something she truly cared about was on her mind. Dani's smiled faded, and she cupped the brunette's full face.

"What's wrong with you, Hotaru?" she questioned. "Hmm?"

Lynnax's eyes were sad, her heart was aching, and Dani could feel it as she wrapped her arms about the full-framed girl, but Lynnax said nothing, only turned away and handed her a pair of four inch heeled boots, an arm defining black trench coat identical to the one she was sporting, and her school bag without a word and walked out of the bedroom.

Dani stared to follow her clearly broken friend when two pairs of arms reached out and held her, Nerika on her right, and Jocilynn on her left, their expressions just as sullen as the other, if not more. Nerika's eyes were glossy as though she had been crying, and the stoic Jocilynn had freshly formed tears threatening to fall.

Dani didn't understand. What had happened in a matter of fifteen minutes that had brought the strongest people she had come to know and love fall to pieces?

"Why didn't you tell us, Dani?" Nerika was choking on her sobs, her long blond hair knotted and mussed.

"Tell you what?" Dani had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She just knew that whatever had happened while she was in the shower had to do with tonight, and her reuniting with Thackery.

"About him, about your plans tonight." Jocilynn's normal voice had been possessed by a mid-pitched whine, something most uncharacteristic about her. Black short hair that was usually unruly was more so than ever. Dani knew that they must have severely stressed on the topic due to their lack of composure.

Then her heart sank. She had been caught. "But how?" It was more of a question to herself, but she got an answer from someone most unexpected.

"Six years after death, one is given the chance to reverse fate. The time to do so will come at the morning hour twelve, and minute eight. Bring burnt roses and a container of pepper, and love will be united forever. Sugar is of no necessity, but bring it if you wish, for they shall be enslaved to you for all time to please and lavish. So good luck to you but be forewarned, that should you fail, you bond to them shall break, and your souls forever torn."

The spell was more than familiar to Dani, as she had remembered it from the Sanderson Sister's spell book many Halloweens ago, but there had only been two others, aside from Billy and Thackery of course, that had ever read it, and since it had been a male voice . . .

"Max . . ."

"I knew you would try it. What I don't know is why you didn't tell these girls that you call your friends." Max stated dryly, a twinge of anger in his voice.

"And Allison?" Dani asked changing the subject.

"She isn't here. She didn't believe me when I told her your plan, so she left me, But that's not that point."

"Where's Lynnax?" the red head asked again, still avoiding his accusation.

"I'm right here." The short haired brunette stepped from behind the tall male. "Now answer his question. Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded. Lynnax too, had been crying, and still was. Her grey blue eyes were completely glassy and bloodshot, her beautiful face was stained with tears and wet, and her make-up was running.

"Hotaru . . ." Dani started to advance on her, but the other girl stepped away hurriedly, and halted her.

"No! No Akiko! Tell me! Tell me why you can't trust us, why you can't trust me. Why Dani!" It was painful, her words. Each one was filled with such sorrow Dani almost couldn't stand it.

"Lynnax, you wouldn't have understood, none of you would have understood, or comprehended it. I didn't want to drag you into this." Dani tried explaining it, but failed all the same.

"Of course we wouldn't have, Akiko." Nerika said, her voice filled with incredulousness. She stepped toward Lynnax and Max and stood to Lynnax's right.

'Emi?' Dani thought in regards to Nerika's actions.

"But that doesn't mean that we don't want to help." Jocilynn stood on the other side of Lynnax now, a look of devotion spread on her face.

'Kenshin.' Dani thought again in regards to the motion.

It took Dani a moment to piece everything together. 'The other voice I heard while I was in the bathroom must have been Max, but I should have figured it was him. He must have told them about Thackery and I while I was in the shower. Ha, he hasn't changed a bit.' She sighed contentedly, knowing that she'd never be able to change their minds about helping her tonight.

"You realize the risk don't you?" she asked. Confirming what she already knew, they nodded, including Max.

"Well then, we have a lot of work ahead of us."

The girls and Max never returned to school that day.

_ III_

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